Worst Valentine's Day Ever
by Jasper'sBaltimoreBabe
Summary: Merlin hates Valentine's Day. Arthur loves it. But after some traumatic events, Arthur renounces his love for it. How can Merlin help mend his best friend's broken heart? SLASH! MERLIN/ARTHUR!


**A/N: Hello, all! So I know that this is a week late, but I just got the idea for this fic after watching _Valentine's Day_. (Great movie, btw.) So please enjoy!**

"_Some people want to fill the world with silly love songs, and what's wrong with that, I'd like to know…" _

Merlin cringed at his roommate's musical talent, or lack thereof. And to add insult to injury, Arthur was completely ecstatic, not only for his date tonight, which Merlin could understand, but for the sham of a holiday that it was. Merlin sighed and yelled from his room, "How much longer are you going to be?" Arthur always took too long getting ready for his dates, but considering that it had been against Merlin's better judgment of agreeing to share a two-bedroom, one-bathroom apartment with his best friend, he deserved it, in a weird, twisted way. But was he going to take this punishment quietly? Hell no.

Merlin marched out of his room and banged on the bathroom door. "Hey, _Morgana_, you're not the only one who's going out tonight!"

That did it. The door swung open to reveal an irate, but albeit handsome, Arthur; he was in a black suit and he was rocking his always perfect Pendragon sex hair. In his hand he held a hairbrush, which he was now pointing in Merlin's face. "One: _never_ call me 'Morgana,' not unless you want to come home to your clothes fueling a bonfire."

Merlin glared at him.

"And two: I am the only one going out on a date. You're going to be with your guy friends. There's a difference."

"Hey, I still deserve to look presentable!" Merlin replied indignantly as Arthur smirked and stepped out of the bathroom, now allowing Merlin to enter.

"Of course. Trying to woo Lance, right?" Arthur asked.

"Lance is not gay," Merlin replied, a toothbrush muffling his response.

"Oh, please!" Arthur laughed. "You two are always making eyes at each other when he's over!"

"We do not!" Merlin cried. "But at least I can go five minutes without having to snog someone in public." "And just what are you implying?" Arthur asked, entering the bathroom once again, putting on a tie.

"It's just that every time you and Gwen are together, you snog…repeatedly…in front of everyone."

"Guinevere and I do a healthy amount of kissing. No more, no less."

"Sure," Merlin replied. "And since it's Valentine's Day, I'm sure you two will _not_ be doing a little more than kissing."

"Well, we'll be doing a lot more than you will be, I expect," Arthur replied. "Alone on Valentine's Day." He shook his head sorrowfully.

"How tragic!" Merlin dramatically put his hand over his heart. "However will I survive?"

"Well, if you die of loneliness, it's not my fault; I offered to set you up with someone."

"Yeah, a _girl_," Merlin said. "You were going to set me up with a _girl_."

"At least you wouldn't have been going out to have beers with the guys, completely ignoring this most holiest of days."

Merlin stared blankly at his friend. "Valentine's Day is just a scam created by Hallmark and Russell Stover."

"Blasphemy!" Arthur gasped.

Merlin rolled his eyes and chuckled. Before he could come up with a witty reply, his cell phone began ringing. He pulled it out of his pocket and checked the text message.

_Can't go out. Sick. Sorry. -Lance_

"I don't believe it," Merlin said as Arthur snatched the phone from him, being nosy, as usual. "Damn."

"Well, you still have Gwaine, as long as he hasn't picked up a stray girl. He's more of a player than I ever was." Arthur's voice held a hint of awe.

"I had forgotten about those days. Gwen really changed you." Merlin smiled.

"Yep. Now I have to be going ," Arthur said as he grabbed his jacket. "Hope your little Lonely Hearts Club is fun!"

"Prat. Tell Gwen I said hi!"

Arthur stepped out of the taxi and ran into Guinevere's apartment building. He held a single red rose; he didn't dare do anything more than that. For their first Valentine's Day together, he had called a florist shop and asked for twelve red roses to be delivered to her. Unfortunately, the florist thought he had meant twelve dozen, and so Gwen's apartment had overflowed with his gesture of love. She had been slightly traumatized and now could never walk through a garden that had rose bushes without mumbling the names and phone numbers of friends she could send them to; the list was enormous.

Arthur stood in the elevator, listening to the soft music and absent-mindedly examined the flower he held. He was practically bouncing in his excitement to see his beloved Guinevere.

However, when he got off of the elevator, he realized something was wrong. As he walked down the hall, he noticed Gwen's door was open. It wasn't like her to be so careless. Arthur crept up to the door and peeked inside, and he dropped the rose he held as his brain registered what he was seeing. His Guinevere was locking lips with another man. And it wasn't just any man; it was Lancelot. Supposedly-sick Lancelot. The two of them were so engrossed in their frenzy of obvious passion that they didn't hear Arthur's arrival.

Arthur didn't stick around. He flew down the hall, into the elevator, and got back in the taxi, heading straight back to the apartment.

Merlin jumped when he heard the apartment door open, and he turned his head from the TV to a very depressed looking Arthur.

"What happened? Why aren't you with Gwen?" he asked.

"I saw Lance," he answered vaguely as he walked in.

"Did he look fine? Was he on his way to a doctor?" Merlin asked concernedly.

"It seems the prescription for his 'illness,'" Arthur used air quotes, "was a dose of Guinevere. They were kissing."

"Arthur, I'm so sorry," Merlin said sincerely.

"Thanks. I'll be in my room," Arthur mumbled, and he walked out of the room.

Thirty minutes later Arthur came back into the room and sat heavily on the couch, next to Merlin. The younger man saw that his friend's eyes were red and slightly puffy; he had been crying. But Merlin knew Arthur well enough to not say anything, not if he valued his life.

After several long seconds went by, Arthur noticed the containers of Chinese takeout. "What's this?"

"Ah. Well, Gwaine couldn't make it, either," Merlin sighed. "So I ordered this for us."

"Thanks, Merlin." Arthur picked up a box and opened a beer. "Y'know, I thought Gwen was 'the one.' She was sweet, and kind, and beautiful. She was perfect," Arthur sighed.

"Perhaps you'll find another girl. You're still young," Merlin pointed out.

"But I don't want another girl!" Arthur shook his head and changed the topic. "Why couldn't Gwaine make it?"

Merlin shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "Um… Well, your prediction was right. He did find a stray girl."

"Told ya. So who is this poor soul? She has no idea that her heart is about to be broken." Arthur seemed almost too happy at the thought of someone else going through his pain.

Merlin hesitantly grabbed his phone and pulled up a picture that Gwaine had sent him. "See for yourself."

Arthur's jaw hit the floor, as did the takeout he was holding. "MORGANA? HE PICKED UP MORGANA?"

"He said they hit it off really well. She has that wild streak in her, like he does," Merlin noted.

"Give me your phone. I want to talk to that bastard."

Merlin surrendered it to his fuming roommate, but then something occurred to him. "Where's your phone?"

"Run over by half the city by now," Arthur replied. "Gwen kept trying to call me for the past half hour, I guess she discovered the rose, and so I chucked it out my window, into the street."

Merlin stared at him in shock, and he was suddenly worried for the wellbeing of his own phone. He didn't have the money to spare to buy another.

"Hello, Gwaine," Arthur said through clenched teeth. "Merlin just informed me of your new friend."

"_Oh, yeah! Her name's Morgana. Such a lovely name. I found this lonely little gem in a coffee shop. She's quite a beauty." _Arthur had accidentally put it on speaker.

"That 'lonely little gem' happens to be my sister!" Arthur cried angrily.

"_Good lord. I'm sorry. She never mentioned you or her last name, even. Arthur, you have my word that I will bring her home safely after we're done with our evening."_

"I want your word that you'll bring her home now!" Arthur began to say, but a new voice on the other side interrupted him.

"_You're talking to Arthur? Oh, give me the phone. Hello, my dear brother!"_

"Morgana," Arthur said. "I don't want you out with Gwaine. That man is trouble."

"_Oh, please, Arthur. He's a perfect gentleman, and I'm old enough to date whomever I want!"_

"Morgana," Arthur growled. "As your older brother-"

"_You will stay out of my business! Just because you're single for the first time in three years doesn't mean you have to drag everyone down with you. Yes, I know," _she said as Arthur opened his mouth. _"Gwen called me. Now go have fun with Merlin and we'll talk tomorrow. Kisses!"_

There was a decisive click and the line became silent. Arthur stared at the phone, his expression unreadable as he realized that in one night his life had gone to hell. Merlin carefully reached over and plucked his phone from Arthur's hand, not wanting it to end up as road kill.

"My girlfriend dumped me and now my baby sister is dating some heathen," Arthur said slowly.

"Hey! Gwaine's not that bad!" Merlin defended his friend. "A bit rough around the edges, sure, but he's got a good heart."

"Shut up, Merlin," Arthur silenced him. "I've never had a bad Valentine's Day before…"

"Well, there's a first time for everything," Merlin replied. "And you're not the only one who's having a bad day; Lancelot is a liar and stole my best friend's girl, and my other friend dumped me for my best friend's sister."

Arthur met Merlin's blue eyes. "I guess I'm not the only one who's life sucks."

"Yeah. Worst Valentine's Day ever."

They sat on the couch together in silence, absentmindedly eating cold food and staring at the TV screen, not even registering what was on. Then Arthur had a thought. "I'm your best friend?"

"What?" Merlin asked, the question catching him off guard.

"You said that I was your best friend."

"Yeah," Merlin said slowly. "And?"

"Well, I though Lance or Gwaine was your best friend."

"Arthur, I've known you longer than either of them, I'm sharing an apartment with you, and right now you're the only friend I have," Merlin said. "Course you're my best friend."

For some reason, that made Arthur feel good inside, like the dark fog that had been pressing in on him lifted, if only for a moment. "Thanks, Merlin. You're my best friend, too."

"Thanks." Sincerity rang in his tone, but needing to lighten this serious moment, he added, "Prat."

Arthur laughed and lightly shoved Merlin. "God, we're pathetic."

"But we have each other," Merlin sighed. "So we can be pathetic together."

Arthur hadn't realized just how insightful Merlin was. As the two of them sat alone, the red-and-pink world outside passing them by, he mentally mulled over the things his friend had said that night, and he felt a kind of contentedness overtake him. Merlin had always been by his side, ever since they met in college, and he was the most loyal friend Arthur could ever have asked for; even when he was being his arrogant self, Merlin put up with him. But why?

He glanced over at the raven-haired man and had the urge to hug him. Who knows what Arthur would have done if Merlin hadn't been there to offer him some solace, some companionship. A deep affection for him stirred up in Arthur's heart, and at the same moment Merlin's blue orbs met Arthur's, and the blonde quickly looked away, trying to smother the blush that was creeping up his face.

_Get it together, Pendragon! You're just emotionally compromised from tonight's…unfortunate…events. _

Merlin looked questioningly at Arthur, his brow furrowed slightly, his lips in a slight pout, and Arthur was finding it harder and harder to keep his mouth closed from saying something stupid and to keep his hands to himself. He sat as still as a statue, looking any in the room except at Merlin.

"Arthur? Is something wrong?"

Not wanting to offend him, Arthur forced himself to look at Merlin, and he immediately realized it was the wrong move. Merlin could read Arthur's face like an open book, and his eyes grew wide in shock as though he could read Arthur's thoughts.

"I'm sorry, Merlin!" Arthur said as he looked away, the blush no longer able to be contained. "I don't know what's come over me! I'm so sorry."

"It's fine, Arthur. Really," he said, running a hand through his hair.

"No, it's not." Arthur gave an aggravated sigh. "It's all this with Guinevere and Lancelot and Gwaine is violating my sister and this goddamn holiday- God, I can't take it!" He buried his face in his hands, ending his rant, and Merlin moved a little closer to him.

"Calm down. Everything will work out for the best. You'll see," he said hopefully.

"How can everything be all right? My world is collapsing. And now I'm having thoughts about-" Arthur stopped himself.

"Thoughts about?" Merlin prodded. Arthur hadn't realized that they were no longer sitting on opposite ends of the couch, but side-by-side, Merlin's face just inches from his.

"It does not matter," Arthur said, brushing away the subject.

"But I think it does," Merlin said.

"It doesn't."

"It _does_."

"It _doesn't_."

"I'm your friend. You can be honest with me."

"No, _Mer_lin."

But Merlin wasn't happy with his friend's refusals, so he did probably the most daring thing he had ever done in his life.

He kissed Arthur.

He felt Arthur's body tense as Merlin's lips met his, but he didn't want to back down. Not yet. Merlin had been dreaming of this day for so long. Too long. And now it seemed as though he misread Arthur's body language before.

After three seconds, he leaned back, away from Arthur, breaking the kiss, but suddenly a hand snuck its way onto the nape of Merlin's neck, capturing him, and Arthur returned the kiss eagerly. Their lips melted together, Merlin's hands finding anchor in that wonderfully ruffled hair of Arthur's, and Arthur's hands holding Merlin to himself, not letting him escape. As the kiss deepened, Arthur pushed Merlin back onto the couch, the elder now on top of the younger. Merlin gave a low moan, and Arthur's tongue entered Merlin's warm mouth. Merlin allowed Arthur to dominate the kiss, his own hands snaking under Arthur's un-tucked shirt, feeling the hidden muscles. He felt Arthur twitch at the contact, and he broke off the kiss, his forehead resting against Merlin's as the two panted for breath.

"Holy hell, Merlin," Arthur gasped.

Merlin licked his lips and nodded. "Yeah."

"How long have you wanted me?" Arthur asked.

"A little after we became friends."

"All this time?" Arthur looked Merlin in the eye. "And you didn't say anything?"

"How could I? You were straight, as far as I knew. And then you found Gwen, and I just couldn't imagine you returning my feelings." Merlin closed his eyes again, and Arthur took in just how beautiful Merlin was, his face flushed, his lips swollen, those dark lashes delicately laying on his cheek.

"Well, I do return those feelings," Arthur said. "I want to make this work, Merlin. This feels right."

"Ditto," Merlin replied with a cheeky smile.

Arthur smiled back, and the two of them continued to kiss and touch and explore each other till the early rays of dawn shown through the apartment windows.

"You know what tonight proved?" Merlin mused, him and Arthur now a tangle of limbs in Arthur's bed (because he had the king-size.)

"What?" Arthur asked, stroking Merlin's hair.

"It proved you wrong. Lance isn't gay."

"And it also proved _you_ wrong," Arthur said, smiling as he propped himself up so he could see Merlin better.

"How?"

"Valentine's Day isn't that bad."

Merlin laughed. "You're right. This is the best Valentine's Day ever."

"Agreed." Arthur sank back down under the covers, wrapping his arms around Merlin, both having a content smile on their faces.

**A/N: Happy (belated) Valentine's Day to all! Please review! 3**


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